Rail fastening means for wood ties



Feb. 22, 1949. J. WEDGWORTH 2,462,532

RAIL FASTENING MEANS F OR WOOD TIES Filed Jan. 29, 1948 Patented Feb. 22, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE RAIL FASTENING MEANS FOR WOOD TIES John K. Wedgworth, York, Ala.

Application January 29, 1948, Serial No. 5,048

4 Claims. 1

The invention relates to a fastening means for securing a track rail on a wood cross tie.

One object of the invention is to provide means for holding the bottom flange of the track rail in .an accurate position throughout the useful life of the ordinary wood cross tie and greatly reduce the cost of maintenance.

Another object of the invention is to provide tie plates and an improved means for fastening the tie plates by which the wood tie will be protected from water seepage, moisture, and other wood rotting agents. The old method of using rail spikes or screws results in water seeping down the holes made by the spikes or screws, and rotting the wood, thus shortening the life of the tie.

Another object of the invention is to provide a means of distributing the load carried by the track rail over a larger bearing surface on the wood tie than is ordinarily obtained by resting the bottom flange of the rail directly on the tie.

. Still another object of the invention is to provide a safety means of preventing the track rails from spreading as a result of rail breakage or similar causes.

-- In the accompanying drawings,

Figure 1 is a top plan view of portions of a track rail, a wood tie, and the improved fastening means, the track rail being indicated in dotted lines and parts being cut away and shown in section.

Figure 2 is a side view with parts cut away and shown in section, and with nut for one of the bolts removed.

Figure 3 is a vertical section on line 3-3 of Figure 2 Figure 4 is a perspective view of an eccentric sleeve.

Figure 5 is a perspective view of a tie plate.

A'preferred construction has been illustrated and will be specifically described, but attention is invited to the possibility of making variations within the scope of the invention as claimed.

A track rail 6 is shown passing over a wood cross tie I. Said track rail is also shown resting on two inverted U-shaped tie plates 8 which straddle the tie and are formed with lugs 9 adapted to receive and hold the base flanges of the rail.

Each of said tie plates 8 consists of a top I and two side flanges ll, said tops having the lugs or fingers 9 projecting upward and inwardly toward rail 6 for the purpose of receiving "and holding the bottom flanges of rail 6 in position. However, other means may be provided on the plates to grip and hold the base flanges. The spacing of said tie plates on wood tie. is determined by the width of the bottom flange of said rail. The tops I!) of the tie plates are of considerable area as shown to'provide a substantial bearing on thewood tie to support the track rail and the load thereon when a train passes over it. The flanges II preferably extend downwardly to a point adjacent to the bottom of the tie to provide a substantial area through which suitable fastening means may be passed to hold the tie plates and hence the rail upon the tie. This arrangement does away with the use of spikes and screws to fasten the rail directly upon the tie and overcomes the many disadvantages of that old practice. The tie plates are made to fit the standard wood tie but need not have a tight fit. If the tie is oversize, it can be cut down to fit in the channel of the tie plate. I I v i The side flanges of each tie plate 8 have openings l2 through which a; bolt l3 or the like passes to fasten the tie;p1ate 8 to the wood tie I. It is to be noted that several openings l2 may well be formed in the side flanges H for the purpose of adjusting the spacing of tie plates 8 to compensate for difierent width base flanges of track rails. These openings [2 may intersect each other as shown in Figs. 2 and 5.

For the purpose of forcing the two tie plates 8 toward each other and downwardly against the top of the tie so that the track rail will be rigidly secured at all times, the eccentric means shown in the drawings are associated with the fastening bolts l3. The latter pass through eccentrically positioned bores M in cylindrical sleeves I5rotatably mounted in transverse cylindrical openings I6 formed in the tie. The eccentric sleeves l5 rotate when the bolts are rotated by a wrench or other tool engaged with the heads I! of the bolts. These parts may be caused to turn as a unit by a key l8 inserted in a key-way or groove l9 formed in the bore I4 and a similar key-way or groove 20 formed in the bolt. The keys may be inserted and held in the key-ways of the sleeves before the latter are inserted in the openings in the tie in assembling the parts. After the parts are assembled as shown, clamping nuts 2| are applied to the threaded ends of the bolts [3, and if desired, cotter pins 22 may be used to prevent loss of the nuts. In assembling the parts on the tie, the thin portions of the eccentric sleeves will be uppermost and as the two bolts are turned, one clockwise and the other counter clockwise,

V the lugs 9 will be moved toward each other to grip the opposite base flanges of the track rail.

,It will be seen that when the bolts [3 are turned in the proper direction the eccentrics l5 will turn in the tie to'force the tie plates 8 toward each other and in a downward direction so that the lugs 9' will "grip the opposite base flanges of the track rail and the tie plates will'be forced down upon the top of the tie. The bolts may be turned from time to time as the tie is compressed and wears away beneath the under faces of the top portions ll] of the tie plates. Due to the weight of the track rail and of the train thereon and to theiposition of the eccentric sleeves, the latter Willfhave a tendency to rotate andmovethebolts' I3 inwardly or toward each other and also downwardly, thus moving the tie plates to maintain them down upon the top of the tie and their lugs l .9 in secure engagement with the track rail. As above indicated .the top portions ID of the tie 7 plates 8 will be moved inwardly and downwardly as the eccentric sleeves turn due to the .fact thatithedepending side flanges I] have the holes TIZ through Whih the bolts 13 PaSSV It Will, of

course, be understood that the parts are of such jsizes andproportions'that when the lugs '9 engage the base flanges of the track rail the portions it of the tie plates will contact with the top surface of the cross tie 1. Since the flanges l I; have a dle the tie and having top portions positioned between the tie and the base flanges of the rail and depending flanges positioned on opposite sides of the tie, means on the tie plates to grip the base flanges of the rail, said tie being formed with transverse cylindrical openings between said flanges of the tie plates, the depending flanges of each tie plate being formed with alined bolt openings, bolts rotatable in the openings of said flanges and extending through the tie openings, and eccentric sleeves on said bolts and rotatable therewith, said sleeves being rotatable in said openings in the tie.

3. The combination with a track rail having base flanges and a wood cross tie beneath the rail, of a pair of inverted U-shaped tie plates to ,pivota' l engagement with the bolts l3, as seen in V Figure .3, 'th e portions 1-0 of the tie plates will assume positions in a plane parallel 'to the rail base as shown in'Figure '2. v V

From theforegoing, taken in connection with the accompanying "drawing, it will be seen that ynovel and advantageous provision has been made for attaining the desired ends, and while-preferences have been illustrated, "attention is again invited to the possibility of making variations withinfthe scope of the invention as claimed.

7 What is claimed is:

1. The combination with a' track rail having base flanges and a wood cross tie beneath the rail, of a pair of inverted U--'shaped tie plates to straddle the tie and having top portions positinned between the tie :and the base gflanges of the r-ail' and depen'c'lingflanges positioned on opposite :sides of the tie, means on the tie :plates togrip the base flanges lot the rail, fastening rbolts passing transversely through the tie and the flanges of the tie plates, and eccentric means positioned between the tie and the bolts, and ppera'b'le by rotation of said bolts to move the tie plates downwardly and inwardly toward each othlt.

' The combination with a trackrail .having baseflanges and a .woodcross tie beneath therail,

straddle the tie and having top portions positioned between the tie and the base flanges of the rail and depending-flanges positioned on opposite sides of the tie, means on the tie plates to grip the base flanges of the rail, said tie being formed with transverse cylindrical openings between the said .flanges of the tie plates, cylindrical sleeves rotatable in the tie openings and formed with eccentric bores, the dependingflanges of said tie plates beingformed with alined bolt openings, and bolts extending through and rotatable in the latter and keyed in the bores-of said sleeves, said bolts having wrench engaging heads at one end and clamping nuts on their threaded ends.

4. The combination with a track rail having base flanges and awoodcross tiebeneath the rail, of a pair of inverted U-sha-ped tie plates to straddle the tie and having top portions positioned between the tie and the base flanges of the rail and depending flanges positioned on opposite sides of the tie, means on the tie plates to grip thejbase flanges of "the rail, teccentr'ica'lly-bored cylindrical sleeves rotatable :in transverse topen- ;ings in the tieand positionedbetween the dependinvflanges of the tie plates, and bolts secured in the bores of said sleeves, the opposeddepending flanges of each of said tie :plates being formed with 'a plurality of :alined bolt openings having their centers in a common horizontal plane, any aligned pair of which .may .rotatably-receive one of said bolts,whereby-the tie plates may be spaced apart according to the width of the base of the track rail.

JGHN'K, WEDGWORTH.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

